bg Sofia

Hristo Popov House

- Georgi Stoykov Rakovski Street 167 -
In 1897, the Bulgarian officer and politician Hristo Georgiev Popov chose this place to build his home. He was a military figure in the in which he commanded the 1st Infantry Regiment in the .

He was born on December 30, 1858, in . From 1875 to 1876 he was a teacher in his hometown, and during the , he collaborated with the Russian troops. In 1879, he graduated from the Military School in Sofia, and later from the Nikolaev Military Academy in . In 1886, Popov took part in the suppression of the pro-Russian uprising aimed at the removal of Prince Battenberg. On January 12, 1889, he resigned from the army as a major.
Hristo Georgiev Popov
After leaving the army, Hristo Popov graduated in law in . After his return to Bulgaria, he was an active participant in the Liberal Party, and from 1899 to 1901 he was mayor of Sofia. He took part in the , and after its end, he was chairman of the parliamentary inquiry commission that investigated the causes of the First National Catastrophe. From 1915 to 1916, he was the Minister of Interior in the government of . In 1923, for his participation in that government, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Third State Court, but was pardoned on July 19, 1924. Lieutenant Colonel Hristo Popov died on October 28, 1951 in Sofia.
An old photo and a photo of the building before the renovation of 2018
The three storey building is built in Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance style. The , located on the first floor, are placed on the and the northwest corner. The segmental , which are located above two of the windows on the second floor, are embellished with beautifully decorated shell ornaments. Below these same windows, you'll be able to see a with seven each. Both windows are flanked by two that are crowned with a Corinthian . Above some of the other windows, the ornamentation consists of a , two supportive , and a straight . A strip of is placed underneath the attic roof cornice. The small at the main entrance has a balcony on top of it. Don't forget to have a look at the beautifully decorated wood carved doors.
The building in the 1970s